1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an article of clothing having at least one extensible portion.
2. Description of Background and Other Information
Garments of the above-mentioned type are known to be used for sporting activities, particularly garments such as shorts or thigh-pieces, or pants, or tops covering the torso.
Indeed, the elastic materials used in such garments allow for a good support for the wearer's muscles during sports activity. Depending on the type of material used, they also facilitate proprioceptive sensing that can be useful for the particular sports activity, and they can also guarantee a certain degree of warmth for the muscles.
However, because they are made of elastic materials, these garments fit snugly and can provide an undesirable visual appearance, particularly if the wearer has an unflattering physical appearance such as being overweight, for example, or if the wearer simply does not desire a snugly fitted appearance.
Moreover, it is difficult to wear garments of this type for purposes other than sporting activities.
To overcome these drawbacks, it is known to superimpose several garments, the one made of an elastic material fitting snugly, such as a thigh-piece, and another, fitting more loosely, such as shorts.
This practice is common with certain athletes, such as soccer players, rugby players, or runners. It has the drawback of requiring two garments, and of increasing the risks of wear of the loose garment in the friction zones, especially in the crotch area in the case of shorts or pants. Furthermore, the outer loose garment can generate unpleasant or undesirable sounds in the friction zones, depending upon the material(s) of which it is made, and the superimposition of two layers of materials in certain zones, and especially in the crotch area, can generate excessive heating.